Reserved Māori Council Positions on New Zealand Councils to Be Reduced by Over 50%
The count of guaranteed seats for Māori representatives on New Zealand local authorities will be cut by over 50%, after a controversial legislative amendment that forced municipal councils to submit the fate of hard-earned Māori seats to a popular referendum.
Background Information on Indigenous Representation
Indigenous electoral districts, which can include one or more councillors based on local population numbers, were created in 2001 to provide Indigenous voters the option to vote for a guaranteed Indigenous council member in local and regional authorities. Originally, councils were only able to establish a Indigenous seat by first putting it to a public vote in their region. Communities frequently spent years building community backing and urging their local governments to create Māori wards.
Legislative Shifts and Government Actions
To remedy the issue, the previous Labour government allowed local councils to establish a Indigenous seat without initially mandating them to put it to a public vote.
However, this year, the current administration overturned the policy, stating communities ought to determine whether to establish Māori wards.
Referendum Results
The coalition’s law change required local authorities that had established a electoral district under Labour’s rules to conduct decisive public votes concurrently with the municipal polls, which ended on October 11. Out of 42 local governments taking part in the public vote, 17 voted to retain their seats, and twenty-five to abolish theirs – revealing many regions against reserved Indigenous seats.
The results provided “a crucial move in restoring community self-determination.”
Opposition parties however have condemned the government’s law change as “discriminatory” and “against Indigenous interests”. After assuming power, the coalition government has ushered in sweeping rollbacks to measures intended to enhance Māori health, wellbeing and representation. The government has stated it aims to terminate “ethnic-specific” approaches, and says it is dedicated to enhancing results for Māori and every citizen.
Urban-Rural Divide
Outcomes of the referendums were split down urban-rural lines – most urban centers mandated to hold referendums backed Indigenous seats, while countryside areas leaned strongly towards disestablishing them.
“It's unfortunate for the Indigenous seats that had only just come in – they’re just beginning to hit their stride.”
Electoral Participation and Concerns
This year’s local government elections recorded the smallest electoral participation in 36 years, with under one-third of citizens participating, leading to calls for an overhaul.
The process had been “a farce”.
Differential Standards
Councils are able to create other types of electoral districts – including countryside seats – without first requiring a public vote. The different conditions placed on Indigenous representation indicated the government was singling out Indigenous inclusion.
“Well, they failed. Many communities have given the government a middle finger response.”
This statement referred to the 17 areas that chose to keep their seats.
